Food Safety Tips For Your Catered Parties

As a host, your worst nightmare will likely be food poisoning among your guests – and you can’t even solely blame the caterer for such an unfortunate incident. You have the right and responsibility of ensuring that the dishes, drinks and desserts served during your party are safe for consumption, as well as delicious, satisfying and filling.

Keep in mind that if the food and drinks aren’t properly prepared, transported or stored, then the risk of food-borne illnesses will increase. Here then are a few important food safety tips that will reduce the risk for you and your guests.

Ask About Compliance with Safety Guidelines

Before hiring the catering company, you should ask about their compliance with the local health department’s food safety guidelines. Such compliance can be ascertained through up-to-date permits and licenses, as well as an online search for food safety incidents reported. You can also visit the catering company’s kitchen and/or restaurant, an easy task when you choose an established chain like Buffalo Wild Wings.

You can observe the staff members’ food safety guidelines compliance. You don’t even have to be an experienced foodie for it since many of these are sensible guidelines used in the home. These include washing of hands before handling food, wearing of clean gloves, and maintaining hygienic cooking environments.

Ask About Food Transportation

If the food and drinks will be delivered, then you must ask about the methods of food transportation especially when the dishes and desserts come pre-assembled (i.e., ready to serve). Of course, hot food should be kept hot and cold food should be kept cold for the best presentation, flavors and textures.

Your caterer should ideally use refrigerated trucks, insulated coolers, and warming equipment in keeping the food at their ideal temperature. Otherwise, the risk of food poisoning from spoiled food will increase, not to mention that your guests will definitely not like eating even slightly spoiled dishes.

Ask About Food Service

During the party, you have to check that the catering staff ensures that the food and drinks are served in their ideal temperature. In case you only had your food delivered (i.e., no full catering services), you have to ensure that the cooked food doesn’t sit at room temperature for more than 2-3 hours or else it can become spoiled.

A few tips in this regard:

• Keep cold food in insulated containers, coolers, or a bed of crushed ice, if necessary.
• Serve hot food in warming units or chafing dishes so that these can be kept at 60 degrees Celsius temperature.
• Ensure that fresh trays or platters are used in replenishing the food instead of new food being placed on empty dishes.

With these simple yet effective tips, you and your guests will enjoy the food and drinks without worrying about ending up in the hospital.